For whatever reason, actor Zooey Deschanel is a polarizing figure whenever she comes up in conversations with friends—conversations I usually start, since I actually think she’s pretty awesome. And online--lots of anti- and pro-Zooey rants and raves abound if you do a quick Google search.

Obviously, tons of people everywhere like her: for her acting in movies and on television, her music with She & Him, and her HelloGiggles crafting/fashion/news website (updated daily). Some are annoyed by her cute and girly “thing” (addressed in the New Girl episode “Jess & Julia”). SNL made fun of her fixation on all things retro—and she was the host, so she was in on the joke.

But really, objectively, I don’t think you can deny that she’s funny, very talented, and a hard worker. And she’s rad because she constantly makes fun of herself and is happy being herself. (Though who wouldn’t mind being her for a day, really?)

New Girl

New Girl Season 1 just came out on DVD last month, so be sure to check it out. I started watching this show a bit late into season 1, but one of the weird things that got me hooked was an episode where Jess is jogging while listening to an audio recording of Diane Keaton’s memoir, Then Again. So weird, but exactly the thing that made me laugh and want to keep watching.

The DVD set contains 24 episodes and some fun extras, including an interview with Zooey Deschanel and the show’s costume designer, Debra McGuire, about where all the fun clothes come from and how they worked together to create the character’s style. There’s also a pretty amusing audition tape featuring actor Lamorne Morris (Winston), and lots of deleted and extended scenes.

She & Him

Another favorite of mine is She & Him Volume 1. I was pretty late getting into this band too, but when I first heard the song “Change is Hard” this past January, I was impressed and totally empathetic. I must’ve listened to that song—the whole record--hundreds of times earlier this year. I love the way it sounds like both classic girl groups and Patsy Cline.